Making a Podcast 101

Have you ever considered launching a podcast but just wondered exactly how you go about it? Then look no further, this is your how to launch a podcast 101. Before I get stuck in, let me say, I don’t think the world can have enough podcasts! It seemed last year that lots of people were launching new ones, which might’ve put you off. However the appetite for them seems to be insatiable, especially female based podcasts, which really are few and far between when you line them up with their male counterparts. It’s a great extension of your brand, and a wonderful way to build up a community of listeners, if you’ve been thinking about it lately then I hope these steps below will help you get started.

Have a clear idea

First and foremost what is the primary purpose of your podcast? You don’t have to be changing the world or providing people with a fact filled 45 minutes but you do need to be clear on what you are offering them. My podcast that I record weekly with Liv Purvis called The Fringe Of It, is to offer company to people and talk about many of the subjects we think about as two females in their mid-twenties and early thirties. Turns out there are lots of people out there who are having the same thoughts and feelings, from self doubt to style. Our first episode all about making friends and loneliness when moving to a new town for university or work struck a chord with people.

It’s all in the edit

Don’t worry if you are making a great point and then make a mistake, you can either repeat your line or recover gracefully. Editing will make your podcast much better than the initial recording. We have a super talented editor called Rosie Lord, but you can easily edit the file yourself using a program like Adobe Audition.

Consider the music

Music is a great way of breaking your podcast up into sections, and of course a perfect intro and outro to your podcast. You need to use royalty free music or pay for the license on music. They vary in price from sites like Audio Jungle, to Audio Network, but they really give your podcast a finished feel.

Invest in a good microphone

We use the Blue Yeti microphone, with a pop shield all from Amazon. It’s very easy to use, and we record straight into Audactity. To use Audacity and save your files as MP3 you need to download an MP3 encoder, I use Lame (which is anything but).

Consider where you are recording

Avoid big rooms with lots of echo, the smaller the room the better. If it has lots of soft furnishings, blankets and cushions even better. You can even attach sponge onto the walls or create a DIY isolation box, there are lots of tutorials online abut how to do this.

Create a supporting community

To allow your listeners to discuss episodes and create a community, consider a social media platform to tie up with the podcast. The Fringe of It has an incredibly supportive Facebook community, where lots of people introduce themselves. There’s even been a couple of meet-ups to date. Be sure to be active, and ask your community questions, and share fun/ relevant information to keep the conversation going.

Make it weekly

Rather than miss a week, ensure you build momentum and record your podcast weekly. The way most people listen to podcast is that it is habitual, you become part of their daily lives. You can always do it in seasons, so 8 or 12 weeks and take a break. If you need to interview someone and can’t be with them in person, I recommend a program called Ecamm for recording over Skype. Done is better than perfect.

Encourage people to rate and review it

It’s always hard to ask, but if people are listening ask them to rate and review it as this makes it easier for others to find you. iTunes and other podcast platforms take note of this activity and it helps get your podcast noticed.

And lastly support other Podcasters, it goes without saying that your audience love podcasts. So share the ones you listen to, not just your own.